Surgical device



pan 4 Dec. 1, 1959 R. c. LYQNS ETAL 2,915,065

SURGICAL DEVICE Filed Oct. 25, 1954 .2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG I IN VEN TORS Dec. 1, 1959 R. CQLYON S ETAL, 2,915,065

SURGICAL DEVICE Filed Oct. 25. 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS KM 0. 4M WM W- Un tesfatsh h This invention relates to. surgical devices. and, more i regain a normal condition.

particularly to devices to receive dischargestfrom'the' female organs. In cases of vesico-vaginal fistul ae .cluring the long preoperative period which is usual forfcases of this kind the person sufiering from this condition'is compelled to wear inconvenient devices such. as I'pads to ab sorb the urine that leaks out of the vagina as a result of this condition.v This invention contemplates the elimi-. nation of the discomforts and inconveniences of the above condition by using a modification o f the welh, known contraceptive diaphragm. Instead ofthe. usual thin diaphragm which is connected across fthering of. the contraceptive diaphragmthere is attached thereto a very thin tubular piece of flexible materialof the nature of the well-known contraceptive condom. When the ring is in place in the vagina the tubular material ex- 1 tends between the lips of the vagina and distal end of the tubular material is attached to a conventional urine container which is adaptedtobe attachedito the patients leg. This invention is-also-useful in collectingth'e menstrual flow to eliminate the use of the ordinary troublesome and discomforting devices contrived for thatpurpose. 'In embodiment one. end ofthe condom is closed to form a sac attached to thririg.

It is an object of this invention to overcome the difliculties of previous devices for caring for patients suifering from vesico-vaginal fistulae and more. particularly the object of our invention is to provide a device for the purpose described which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture and simple and emcient to use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple, eflicient and comfortable device for use to collect the discharge during the menstrual period.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the lower portion of the human feminine torso with a device according to the invention in place,

Fig. 2 is a conductor,

Fig. 3 is a view of a portion of the device,

Fig. 4 is a view of another embodiment of the invention, and

Fig. 5 is a topview of the device shown in Fig. 4.

In Fig. 1 is shown a view of a feminine human torso 1 having a bladder 2, having the urethra 3 communicating therewith and adjacent the uterus 4 and in juxtaposition to the vagina 5.

During the course of childbirth in certain cases there develops what is known to the medical profession as I collecting portion. .The portion 13 hasv alength greater atented Dec. 1, 1959 vesico-vaginal fistulae. That is, .during the course of childbirth a rupture occurs between the interior of the bladder and the vagina as illustrated at7. .When this condition occurs the urine from the interior of the b1ad-; der at 2 leaks through the rupture at 7 and drips out of the;vagina and the patient suffering from this con-- dition has no control of the flow of urine. The medical; profession does not consider. .it desirableto operate on such patients'until a considerable length of time after. the, childhas been born and until-the parts of the body, During this period it is, extremely discomforting to the patient because of1the condition that exists and the patient must resort to the; use of pads and various other inconvenient devices to, collect the urine as it runs from thebody. A large nurnber of pads are required and the patient is uncomfortable, constantly. j 1 v Fig. 2 shows a ring 10 similar tothe ring used'on the well-known contraceptive diaphragm which has. a. relatively stiff resilient ring 11 which in some cases-is; made. of hard rubber and in other cases may have a steel: spring molded in the rubber to give it more stiffness andresiliency To the inside of the ring at 12 isv attached .a very thin flexible sheet of material such as the body portion 13 which is attached to the ring. The body. portion is made of thin rubber or plastic material. and is of a general siz'e'and shape of the well-knowncontraceptive condom, that is, it is generally tubular jn; shapehaving a closed bottom portion '14 and it :is pref g erably stretched outwardly at 15. to. form a funnel shaped than the diameter of the ring- 11 in order to. contain fluid below the lower. end of afront portion-25 and hangs; outside the body of a person. The tubular portionds;

extremely thin andsoftso that it may engagethe sensi tive parts ofthe body withoutthepar'ts beingfconscious of'the presence thereof. f I

The urine bag "16' may be of the usual plas t'ictypelia'v ing eyelets 17 adapted to receive a cord for attaching the bag to the patients leg. A tubular inlet member 18 is attached to the upper end thereof at 19 and communicates with the inside thereof. The lower end 14 of the tubular member is attached to the bag at 19. This is done by stretching the end 14 over the end of the tubular member 18 and pressing the collar 20 therearound to hold the tubular member in place. The lower end 14 will extend over the top of the tube at 21 and with the collar seal the tubular member to the tube 18. The portion 21 can be punctured by means of a pin or otherwise to break the lower end thereof to allow the urine to drain into the bag.

When the device is in place as shown in Fig. 1 with the ring 11 extending over the mouth 24 of the uterus and with a portion 26 thereof inserted as far back in the vagina as it will go and the front portion 25 tucked up behind the pubic bone at 27 to keep it in place the device can remain in place for several days without discomfort. The tubular member 13 in this position extends outward through the lips 28 of the vagina and downward to the urine bag 16. The tubular member being extremely thin and soft, the patient will not usually even be conscious of its presence. Urine leaking through the rupture 7 will follow the tubular member 13 andbe collected in the bag 16 from which it can be discharged in the conventional manner. The entire device is comfortable to wear, and efficient for the purpose intended.

Fig. 4 shows another embodiment of our invention wherein the ring 111 is formed similar to the ring 11 in Figs. 2 and 3. However the tubular portion 113 is somewhat shorter than the tubular portion 13 shown in Fig. 2 so that the entire device can be contained within the vagina. The tubular portion is made of extremely high-grade rubber material or plastic material of I the nature of approximately 1 or 2 thousandths of an inch in thickness or less. With the ring 111 in the same position that the ring 11 islshown in Fig. 1 the tubular member 113 will becompletely housed in the vagina. And in this position the devicecan'be used-by a normal healthy femalefor a catamenial device for collecting the menstrual flow. The discharge from an ordinary human female during the menstrual period is approximately 8 cc. and it has been discovered that a thin flex ible tube of this type can easily contain this quantity'and the wearer will not even be aware that the device is in place. After the period of menstruation has passed the device can be disposed of or sterilized anduse d subsequently.

The foregoing specificationsets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but the structure shown is capable of modification within a range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel'as is commensurate with the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A surgical device comprising a ring of relatively rigid resilient material, a closed, elongated, generally cylindrical container of tissue-thin flexible resilient material attached to said ring and forming an elongated container'therewith, said ring forming an edge of said container, the distal end of said thin material being turned back on itself inwardly of said' cylindrical'container and disposed around a tubular member comprising the inlet to a urine bag and a sleeve disposed around said turned back end of said thin member and said tube holding said thin member to said tube whereby urine from said thinmaterial drains through saidtube into a bag attached thereto, said bag being attachable to the leg of a person.

' 2. A surgical device comprising a ring of flexible material, a metal spring disposed in said material and adapted tourge said ring to retain acircular shape, and

a tubular member attached to said ring, said tubular member being made of extremely thin material and decreasing in size from said ring and terminating in a cylindrical portion, the distal end from said ring of said tubular member being adapted to be turned back inside said cylindrical portion and to have a tubular inlet to a container inserted therein, and a collar adapted to fit around said distal end of-said cylindrical portion clamping said distal end to said tubular inlet whereby liquid received in said cylindrical member is conducted into said container, said ring member being adapted to fit into the body of a person.

3. A catamenialdevice comprising a ring of relatively rigid yet flexible resilienhmaterial and a container of tissue thin flexible material, said thin material terminating in an opening, said opening being fixedly attached to said ring and forming an elongated container closed at the an m e rom a in said rin formin an edge around-an open end of said container, said ring having such outside diameter that it may be inserted in the vagina of a personwith said ring surrounding the mouth of the uterus and a portion thereof disposed as far back in the vagina as it will go and at the front tucked behind the pelvic bone o f'the person, said elongated container having a depth greater than the diameter of said ring, said container receiving fluid from the body of said person, said elongated container being snfiiciently long to extend outwardly between the lips of the vagina of said person a substantial distance and to terminate at a position spaced outwardly therefrom a substantial distance from, said lips to receive fluid through said ring from the body of said person.

References Cited in the file of this patent 'UNITED TA E A E S 1,003,8 1 3 inar Sept. 19. 1911 2,309,868 Robinson Oct. 25, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 7 2 at r in -.-.-.-a-,=-.-.- Sep 2 549,150 Great Britain Nov. 9, 1 4,2

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 2,915,065 December 1 1959 Richard C. Lyons et a1.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the-printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 3, line 10, for "8 cc." read 80 cc.

Signed and sealed this. 20th day of September 1960.

(SEAL) Attest:

KARL Ho AXLINE ROBERT C. WATSON Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

